This year, the Sheboygan A’s are giving a new meaning to the dog days of summer.

The team is smack dab in the middle of a long slate of games that sees them play more contests than days on the calendar, and that workload won’t let up until the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League playoffs begin in early August.

The group currently sits with an overall record of 27-15 and boasts a 10-6 mark in the NWBL and a 13-9 record in the Wisconsin State League.

A’s skipper Derek Loomans said the schedule makes it tough for his guys, especially because a number of them don’t call Sheboygan home.

“We have super dedicated players,” he said. “We have a lot of guys who live an hour or more away, and you wouldn’t even know it. They show up every night and you see the same faces, over and over again, but they work jobs and they show up here every night. It’s a grind. It’s a long process for all of them.”

Harry Steldt, one of the team’s more seasoned players, said another big challenge, especially for the out of town players, is managing time. They all work summer jobs in addition to the time they dedicate to baseball, which only adds to the grind.

“It started July 6 to July 26 and I think we’ve had five days of doubleheaders,” he said. “For me personally, it’s a grind. I work 50 hours a week sitting in an office, so it’s tough for me to sit there all day and then come out here every night. It’s good to have a lot of young guys on the team though. They bring that extra energy and we feed off that.”

Loomans is tasked with the challenge of keeping his lineup energized and healthy, but he said for the players, it’s just about going out and playing the game they all love, and that’s easy to get up for.

“It’s been tough, just because they’ve been playing every day and guys get dinged up,” he said. “You just try to rotate them as much as you can give them a break. You don’t play here unless you love baseball though, and want the repetition. That’s basically what it is. They thrive on playing baseball every day and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

While the busy schedule may take a physical tole on the players, it does have its benefit. Outfielder Wyatt Olson said it’s a big chemistry builder in the dugout.

“It’s tiring, but we definitely get through it together,” he said. “We pick each other up and we don’t gripe or bring each other down at all. One guy gets hot and it turns into a whole month. That’s a great feeling. It definitely brings us closer, that’s for sure.”

For Steldt, a summer with the A’s, complete with its dog days, builds a lasting bond, and that definitely makes enduring the grueling schedule worth it.

“Most of these guys, I’ve known now for a while,” he said. “I’ve been on the team for way too long. But the new guys come in and pick it up right away. We get a lot of returning guys and when we play this many games together, we’re friends for life. That’s the way I think of it.”